Improvement in trolling-spoon baits



G. M. `SKIN-NER.

Trolling-Spaun Baits.

Patented Aug. 4, 1:874.

THE GRAPP'HC C0. PHOT0^UTH.39&4I PARK UNITED VSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

GARDINER M. SKINNER, OF GANANOQUE, CANADA.

IMPRCVEMENT IN TROLLlNG-SPOON BAITS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 153,854, dated August 4, 1874; application filed June 22, 1874. l

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GARDINEE MILLS SKIN- NER, of the village of Gananoque, in the county of Leeds and Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spoon-Baits for Fishing; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The invention consists, first, in uting or corrugating a portion or the whole surface of the bowl of a trolling-spoon in such a manner as to cause a greater reflection of light when passing through the water, thereby making the bait more attractive to a sh; second, in providing the spoon with a loop or ring through which to pass the main wire in such a manner as to prevent the spoon in trolling from spinning in too large a circle about the said wire, the object being to prevent the spoon drawing too hard in passing through the water, and to confine its course of gyration, so as to show more resplendently in the water.

Figurel is a top view of a spoon-bait einbodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the spoon portion, showing a modified form of Iluting. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section of the same. Fig. 5 shows a modified form of spoon and luting.

A is the spoon portion of the bait, which may be of any suitable shape, fluted or corrugated on its surface, wholly or in part, and the flutes or corrugations may partake of any suitable configuration. The convex or back of the spoon is of bright white or yellow metal, and the utes or corrugations cause refractory rays of light in trolling through the water, and thus make the bait more attractive to the sh. Bis a ring passing through or held by an eye or hook, C, or other contrivance, secured to the concavity of the spoon, to receive the main wire D, which passes through an eye, E, at the `forward end of the bowl, in the usual manner. Intermediately on the wire D, between the ring C and eye E, is formed a shoulder, F, against which the spoon swivels or spins, by its eye E, in the usual way. The wire D being confined within the ring B, the spin of the spoon in trolling is circumseribed, and the sphere of `gyration limited by the play allowed to the wire by a ring of greater or less diameter.

Preferably the eye or hook C and the eye E are formed of one piece of wire saitably bent, as the soldering or fastening of the same to the spoon can then be more neatly and eX- peditiously performed. I also prefer to form the eye C as a hook, to admit of ready disconnection of the ring B therefrom, to change a large for a smaller spoon, orV vice versa, or to substitute one of another color for attachrnent to the main wire l), at the option of the user.

I claim as inyinventionl.' The Iluted or corrugated spoon A for trolling-hook, as set forth.

2. The ring or loop B, the spoon A, and the main wire D, combined and arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

G. M. SKINNER.

Witnesses:

G. E. BEITToN, H. PARKER. 

